Bowling alley masking units



Jan. 23, 1962 w. GROGOZA BOWLING ALLEY MASKING UNITS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Feb. 10. 1960 INVENTOR ZUz'ZZz'Qm GT'OHOZG.

Jan. 23, 1962 w GROGOZA 3,018,105

BOWLING ALLEY MASKING UNITS Filed Feb. 10, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR ATTORNEY Jan. 23, 1962 w. GROGOZA 3,018,105

BOWLING ALLEY MASKING UNITS Filed Feb. 10, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet sINVENTOR ATTORNEY Jan. 23, 1962 w. GROGOZA 3,018,105

BOWLING ALLEY MASKING UNITS Filed Feb. 10, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 4INVENTOR ATTORNEY 6 J Zdz'Z/z'om @7 9; 07a

MIN.

WIMP H. W

Jan. 23, 1962 W- GROGQZA BOWLING ALLEY MASKING UNITS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5Filed Feb. 10. 1960 l him? INVENTOR GP? 0762 Z z'ZZr km? ATTORNEY airedrates 3,118,l5 Patented Jan. 23, 1962 Jersey Filed Feb. 10, I960, Ser.No. 7,803 12 Claims. (Cl. 273-54) This invention relates to bowlingalley apparatus and more particularly to masking units employed inconjunction with automatic pin spotting machines.

In recent years, automatic pin spotting machines have been widelyaccepted by the trade and a large proportion of all new bowling alleyinstallations include such machines. The pin spotting machinesthemselves are relatively large, complicated devices of such nature thatit is undesirable to have major portions thereof in the view of theplayers, since movement of various parts of the machine would tend todistract the player and the overall appearance would not be estheticallyattractive. It is accordingly the usual practice to employ a maskingunit disposed in front of the pin spotting machine and extendingdownwardly to a point just above the pins when the latter stand on thealley floor.

It has also become the practice to use, in conjunction with the pinspotting machine, a pin fall indicator which presents to the players avisual indication of the pins still standing after a ball has beenrolled. The pin fall indicator, or other indicating means supplementingthe same, may be employed to indicate strikes, etc., and also toindicate the occurrence of a foul.

An object of the present invention is to devise an improved masking unitwhich is effective to serve its functional purpose and which alsopresents an unusually attractive appearance when viewed from the playersend of the alley.

A further object is to devise a novel illuminated masking unit forbowling alley installations.

Another object is to devise a combination masking unit and visualindicator which is both operationally eificient and pleasing inappearance.

A still further object is to provide, in apparatus of the typedescribed, novel and effective means for signalling the occurrence of afoul.

In order that the manner in which these and other objects are attained,in accordance with the invention, can be understood in detail, referenceis had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of thisspecification, and wherein:

'FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the central portion of acombined masking unit and pin fall indicator constructed in accordancewith one embodiment of the invention:

FIGURES 2-4 are detail front elevational views of the pin fall indicatoremployed in the unit of FIGURE 1, the three views illustrating themanner in which different indications are displayed;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary front elevational view illustrating the mannerin which a foul is indicated by the unit of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a front elevational view, enlarged in scale and with someparts broken c way for clarity of illustration, of a portion of the unitof FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 7 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 7-7, FIGURE 1, andenlarged in scale, some parts being shown in elevation;

FIGURE 8 is a vertical section view taken on line 3-8. FIGURE 6, someparts being shown in elevation;

FIGURE 9 is a rear view of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 10 is a top plan view of the central portion of the unitindicated at Iii-10, FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on line Il11,FIGURE 10, and enlarged in scale;

FIGURE 12 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on line 12i2,FIGURE 6, and enlarged in scale, and

FIGURE 13 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a portion of theface plate of the pin fall indicator employed in the unit shown inFIGURE 1.

Turning now to the drawings in detail, and first to FIGURES 1, 7 and 8thereof, it will be seen that the embodiment of the invention hereillustrated comprises a mask, indicated generally at 1, depending from asupport 2, the mask carrying a forwardly disposed pin fall indicator 3and lamp means, indicated generally at 4, situated between the mask andthe pin fall indicator and operative to illuminate the front face of themask.

Mask 1 includes horizontally extending, vertically spaced top and bottomframe members 5 and 6, respectively, interconnected by upright framemembers 7, the latter being parallel to each other and, as seen inFIGURE 7, each defining an obtuse angle opening forwardly, with framemembers 5 and 6 being equally spaced from the apex of the angle. Themain surface of the mask comprises two metal sheets 8 and 9 eachextending horizontally to the limits required for the masking unit inthe particular bowling alley installation involved and each having atransverse dimension equal to one half of the distance between framemembers 5 and 6 along the front edges of upright frame members 7. Aswill be clear from FIGURE 7, sheets 8 and 9 are in edge-to-edge contactat the apex of the angle defined by frame members 7, sheet 8 extendingforwardly and upwardly to top frame member 5 and sheet 9 extendingforwardly and downwardly to bottom frame member 6. Thus, sheets 8 and 9are arranged to define a forwardly open dihedral angle the apex line ofwhich extends horizontally and transversely across the alley with whichthe device is associated.

Sheets 8 and 9 are secured to frame member 7 in any suitable fashion, asby spot welding or by the use of separate fasteners. Along its top edge,sheet 8 has a forwardly projecting horizontal flange 10 disposed infaceto-face contact with the top surface of a horizontal, rearwardlyprojecting, bottom flange II on frame member 5, flanges It) and Iiibeing secured together by welding or in any other suitable manner andsuch attachment constituting the means for mounting top frame member 5.

Bottom frame member 6 has a flat bottom wall to the upper face of whichare attached spaced U-shaped brackets 12 to which the lower ends of theupright frame members 7 are secured, as by means of bolts. Bottom framemember 6 also includes an upright front wall and a horizontally disposedtop wall 13 extending rearwardly of the mask into edge-to-edge contactwith the lower edge of sheet 9.

The mask 1 is supported from a wall M by means including brackets 15secured to the mask, a supporting rail in over which the brackets 15 areengaged and a plurality of brackets 17 secured to the wall and arrangedto support the rail I6. Each bracket 15 is formed from a metal plate andis attached to the upper end portion of one of the frame members 7. Atits end spaced from such frame member, each bracket 15 has a downwardlyopening hook portion engaged over rail 16 and closed by a releasablepivoted latch id. From FIG- URES 6 and 7, it will be noted that topframe member 5 includes an upright front wall and a rearwardly extendingtop wall, the transverse cross-sectional dimensions of frame member 5being such that brackets 15, rail 16 and brackets 17 are completelyhidden by the top frame member.

It will be understood that the mounting means above described is soarranged that the mask is supported thereby with bottom frame member 6extending horizontally and transversely above the alley floor and beingspaced from the alley floor by a distance slightly greater than theheight of the bowling pins employed on the alley, the position of wall14 of course being such that the mask is disposed in front of the pitend of the alley and completely masks the bowling pin spotting machine,whe one is employed in the alley.

From FIGURES l, 6 and 9, it will be observed that the two frame members7 located nearest the center of mask I are equally spaced from thevertical center line of the mask, being disposed one on each side ofsuch center line and are joined by a lower horizontal brace 19, spacedsomewhat above lower frame member 6, and an upper horizontal brace 24spaced somewhat below upper frame member 5. Portions of sheets 8 and 9at the center of the mask are cut away to provide in the mask a centeredopening in the form of an inverted isosceles triangle, the apex of thetriangle opening being located at the center of brace 19 and the base ofthe triangle extending along upper brace 29. Bisecting the triangleopening is a vertical frame member 21 extending between braces 19 and 2tand having its ends attached thereto. A horizontally and forwardlyextending frame member 22, mounted as hereinafter described, extendsthrough the triangular opening at a point above the apex thereof, framemember 22 having an opening through which frame member 2i) extends.

Lamp means 4 is disposed in the triangular opening in the mask andgenerally centered with respect to the mask, as will now be described.At a point behind frame member 29, there is mounted on frame member 22an upwardly projecting, lamp retaining clip 23. A second such retainingclip 24 is secured to the upper end portion of frame member 21 andprojects rearwardly therefrom. A conventional circular fluorescent lamptube 215 is mounted in clips 23 and 24, the diameter of lamp tube 25 andthe positions of clips 23 and 24 being such that the lamp tube lightswithin the triangular opening in the mask. The usual ballast and starterunit 26 is mounted on brace 2t? and connected to lamp tube 25, in theusual fashion, by electrical cord 27. As seen in FIGURES 8 and 9, a backplate 28 is secured to the rear edges of the two frame members 7adjacent the center of the mask and slants upwardly and forwardly fromthe apex of the angle defined by frame member 7 to a point below brace26 the remaining upper portion of plate 2-8 there being bent along ahorizontal line to project upwardly away from frame member 7 andterminate behind brace 20.

Located in front of the central, triangular opening in mask 1, the pinfall indicator 3 comprises a housing 30 having the form, in frontelevation, of an isosceles triangle similar to the triangular opening inmask ll, centered with respect thereto and slightly larger than saidopening. As will be clear from FIGURES 7 and 8, housing 30 has the formof a vertically elongated rectangle when considered in side elevation.Thus, the housing is relatively flat and lies in a vertical plane.Housing 30 is defined by three side walls 31, a back plate 32 and aperforated face plate 33, as will be clear from FIG- URES 6, ll and 12.Mounting of the pin fall indicator is accomplished by means of framemember 22 and a pair of horizontally and forwardly projecting framemembers 34, the latter being secured to frame members 7 in any'suitablefashion. Each of the frame members 22, 33 and 34 is provided at itsforward end with a vertical flange bolted or otherwise secured to backplate 32. The rear end of lower, centered frame member 22 is bolted, asat 35, to a suitable bracket or other rigidly supported member (notshown).

Back plate 32 of the pin fall indicator is formed with eleven rearwardlyextending wells 36 each having an opening in which a lamp socket 37,FIGURE 12, is suitably secured in such fashion that the lamp 38 isdisposed within the well and therefore in front of the back plate. Tenof the wells 36 are arranged generally triangularly, to represent theusual disposition of bowling pins on the alley floor at the start ofplay. The eleventh well, indicated at 36*, FIGURE 11, is disposedadjacent the horizontal top edge of the pin fall indicator and iscentered with respect thereto, well 36 and its associated lamp formingpart of a strike indicator.

An opaque, flat indicia sheet 39 is secured to the front face of backplate 32, in face-to-face contact therewith. Considering the pin fallindicator in front elevation, indicia sheet 3? has substantially thesame size and shape as back plate 32 and it is thus apparent that theindicia sheet extends across the open mouth of each of the wells 36, aswill be clear from FIGURES 6 and 1 At each of the wells 36, the indiciasheet 3% is provided with an opening capable of passing light and havingthe form of the particular visual indication desired at the location ofthe well in question. Thus, as will be seen in FIGURE 1, indicia sheet39 is provided with Openings in the form of the figures 7, 8, 9 and 10at the locations of four of the wells 36 spaced adjacent to the top edgeof the pin fall indicator. In the portion thereof extending across themouth of well 36*, at the center of the upper portion of the pin fallindicator, the indicia sheet is pro vided with an opening forming across. The portions of the indicia sheet extending across the mouths ofthe re maining wells 36 are respectively provided with openings formingthe numbers 1 through 6, in the manner shown in FIGURE 1.

Side walls 31 of the housing for the pin fall indicator projectforwardly from indicia sheet 39 and are each pro= vided with an inwardlyextending transverse flange 4! FIGURE 12. The edge portions ofperforated face plate 33 are disposed behind and secured to the flangesAll in any suitable fashion. As illustrated in FIGURES l2 and 13, faceplate 3-3 is provided with small, closely spaced circular openings 41distributed over the entire face plate, the openings 41 being such that,when the pin fall indicator is viewed from the players end of the alleywith none of the lamps 38 energized, the face plate appears to besubstantially plain and unbroken. When, however, one or more of thelamps 38 is energized, the light therefrom passes through thecorresponding one of the indicating openings in the indicia sheet, sothat the character represented by that opening is visible as confinedillumination projected through the openings 4-1 in the face plate 33.When none of the lamps 38 is energized, as is the case before play isstarted, the pin fall indicator appears as shown in FIGURE 2 when viewedby the players. Assuming that a ball has been rolled and that pins stillstand in the 6, 9 and "10 positions, the corresponding three lamps 38are energized so that the appearance of the pin fall indicator to theplayers is as shown in FIGURE 3. Upon occurrence of a strike, only thelamp in well 36 is illuminated and the players accordingly see only thestrike-indicating cross on the pin fall indicator, as illustrated inFIGURE 4.

This embodiment of the invention also comprises a novel and particularlyeffective foul-signaling device which will now be described withreference to FIGURES 5, 7, l0 and 11. From FIGURES l0 and 11, it will benoted that the upper side wall 31 of the housing of the pin fallindicator extends rearwardly beyond back plate 32 and that there is asubstantial space between well 36 and the upper side wall. As seen inFIGURE 10, the central portion of upper side wall 31 is cut away inrectangular fashion and there is mounted below the upper side wall alight projector indicated generally at 42. The light projector includesa dependent housing 43 into which projects a lamp socket 44 so disposedthat the lamp 45 mounted therein is located within housing 43. The opentop of housing 43 is closed by a light conductive plate 4-6.Advantageously, the upper edges of housing 4 3 are mar.

flanged outwardly and the projector 42 is secured to the upper side wall31 of the pin indicator housing by means of a clamping frame 47 andbolts 43.

Lamp 45 is connected to any appropriate energizing support responsive tooccurrence of a strike. Considering FIGURE 7, it will be apparent that,when lamp 45 is energized, the light therefrom will be directed throughplate 46 onto a portion 8 of sheet 8, the portion 8 being disposedbetween the pin fall indicator and top frame member 5, so that theilluminated area is visible to the player in the manner indicated by theshade lines in FIGURE 5. The signalling of the occurrence of a strike isadvantageously accomplished by the use of light, from lamp 45, which isof a distinctly different color than other illuminated areas of the maskand pin fall indicator. Thus, the closure plate 46 can constitute afilter element capable of passing red light, so that the wall portion 8is illuminated in red, in which case all other portions of the wall aremade to appear in a different color than red to the players.

Referring now to FIGURES 7, 8 and 11, it will be seen that the spacebetween mask 1 and pin fall indicator 3 is enclosed by three flatlight-conductive sheets 49 arranged to form an isosceles triangle ofthesame shape as the triangles defined by the side walls of the pin fallindicator housing and the opening in the mask. Sheets 49 are of suchdimension and shape that all of the light from the circular fluorescentlamp tube 25 must pass outwardly therethrough before reaching thoseportions of the mask not hidden from the players view by the pin fallindicator. Advantageo-usly, the sheets 49 are fabricated of a syntheticresinous or like material having optical characteristics such as todiffuse the light from lamp tube 25 uniformly over the exposed areas ofthe mask. Sheets 49 extend rearwardly through the central opening inmask I and are secured to wall portions 8 and 9 by brackets 49*.

Considering FIGURES 1 and 7, it will be noted that sheets 8 and 9, whilepositioned substantially identically insofar as reflection of light fromlamp tube 25 is concerned, are made to have specifically differentlight'reflecting characteristics so that the two sheets will bedistinctly different in their appearance to the players. Thus, whilesheet 8 is formed with a fiat front face, sheet 9 is formed with aplurality of horizontally extending flutes Sit. Obviously, sheet 9 canbe fabricated with other types of irregular light-reflecting orlight-dispersing surfaces than the simple horizontally extending flutesillustrated.

The pin fall indicator 3, mounted and arranged in the mannerhereinbefore described, serves the additional A purpose of acting as alight barrier between light means 4 and the players end of the alley.While obvious advantages accure from having the pin fall indicator oftriangular form, when viewed in front elevation, it will be obvious tothose skilled in the art that other configurations can be employed. Theparticularly advantageous embodiment of the invention here shown anddescribed is accordingly to be considered as illustrative, rather thanlimiting, and it will be understood that many modifications and changescan be made without departing from the scope of the invention, asdefined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a masking unit for masking the pit end of a bowling alleyinstallation, the combination of masking wall means, support means forsupporting said masking wall means above the alley floor in front of thepit of the alley,

illuminated pin fall indicating means mounted on saidmasking wall meansand spaced forwardly with respect thereto, and light means carried bysaid wall means and disposed behind said pin fall indicating means todirect light laterally onto portions of said wall means not hidden bysaid pin fall indicating means.

2. In a masking unit for use in conjunction with an automatic pinspotting machine in a bowling alley installation, the combination of anupright masking structure defining a dihedral angle, means forsupporting said masking structure above a bowling alley floor with theapex line of the dihedral angle extending horizontally and with thedihedral angle opening toward the players end of the alley, pin fallindicating means mounted on said masking structure and spaced forwardlythereof, and light means mounted on said masking structure and locatedbetween said masking structure and said indicating means to direct lightfrom behind and also laterally of said indicating means onto thedihedral surfaces of said masking structure.

3. A masking unit in accordance with claim 2 and wherein the meansdefining one side of said dihedral angle presents an irregularlight-reflecting surface.

4-. In a masking unit for masking the pit end of a bowling alleyinstallation, the combination of means forming a masking wall comprisingtwo surfaces defining a dihedral angle, support means for supportingsaid masking wall above the alley floor in front of the pit of the alleywith the apex line of said dihedral angle extending horizontally andwith said dihedral angle opening toward the players end of the alley, alight barrier disposed in front of said masking wall, and a light sourcemounted behind said light barrier and arranged to project lightgenerally transversely of the alley, when said masking wall is sosupported, to illuminate those portions of the dihedral surfaces of saidmasking wall not hidden by said light barrier.

5. A masking unit in accordance with claim 4 and wherein one forwardlypresented face of the dihedral angle of said masking wall is a planesurface and the other such face is an irregular light-reflectingsurface.

6. In a masking unit for masking the pit end of a bowling alleyinstallation, the combination of means forming a masking wall, supportmeans for supporting said wall in upright position above the alley floorin front of the pit of the alley, a light barrier spaced forwardly ofsaid wall, a light source disposed between said wall and said barrierand operative to illuminate portions of said Wall not hidden by saidlight barrier, said wall including a portion visible from the playersend of the alley and extending forwardly and upwardly above said lightbarrier, and means for selectively illuminating said portion.

7. In a masking unit for masking the pit end of a bowling alleyinstallation, the combination of means forming a masking wall comprisingtwo portions defining a dihedral angle, support means for mounting saidwall above the alley floor in front of the pit of the alley with theapex line of said dihedral angle extending horizontally across the alleyand with said dihedral angle opening toward the players end of thealley, a pin fall indicator comprising a generally flat housingstructure, means mounting said pin fall indicator in front of said wallwith the housing structure thereof extending transversely of the alley,light means mounted between said wall and said pin fall indicator andoperative to project light laterally from behind said pin fall indicatorto illuminate portions of said wall not hidden by said pin fallindicator, and a foul signal including a light projector mounted on saidpin fall indica tor and arranged to project light in an upright pathonto a forwardly slanting portion of said wall observable from theplayers end of the alley.

8. In a masking unit for masking the pit end of a bowling alleyinstallation, the combination of masking wall means, support means formounting said wall means above the alley floor with said wall meansextending transversely across the alley in front of the pit of thealley, a pin fall indicator mounted in front of said wall means, lightmeans disposed behind said pin fall indicator and arranged to projectlight from behind said pin fall indicator to illuminate portions of saidwall means not hidden by said pin fall indicator, said wall meansincluding a wall portion disposed above said pin fall indicator andslanting upwardly and forwardly, and a foul signal comprising a lightsource mounted on said pin fall indicator and arranged to project lightupwardly onto said wall portion.

9. In a masking unit for masking the pit end of a bowling alleyinstallation, the combination of masking wall means, support means formounting said wall means above the alley floor with said wall meansextending transversely across the alley in front of the pit end thereof,a light barrier mounted in front of said wall means, light meansdisposed behind said light barrier and arranged to direct light frombehind said light barrier onto portions of said wall means not hidden bysaid light barrier, and means substantially closing the space betweensaid wall means and said light barrier and surrounding said light meansand effective to difiuse at least a part of the light passing from saidlight means.

10. A masking unit in accordance with claim 9 and wherein said wallmeans includes an exposed portion slanting upwardly and forwardly abovesaid light barrier, said unit further comprising a foul signallingdevice including a light projector mounted on said barrier and arrangedtodirect light onto said exposed slanting portion of said wall means.

11. A masking unit in accordance with claim 9 and wherein said Wallmeans defines a forwardly opening dihedral angle, the vertical dimensionof said light barrier being less than the vertical dimension of saidwall means, said unit further comprising a signal device including alight projector mounted on said light barrier and arranged to directlight onto an exposed forwardly slanting portion of said wall means.

12. In a masking unit for masking the pit end of a bowling alleyinstallation, the combination of a pair of planar wall members arrangedto define a dihedral angle, support means for mounting said wall membersabove the alley floor with the apex line of said dihedral angleextending horizontally transversely across the alley and with saiddihedral angle opening toward the players end of the alley, a pin fallindicator including a vertically extending housing mounted in front ofsaid wall members, light means mounted behind said housing and arrangedto direct light onto portions of said wall members not hidden from theplayers view by said housing, and signal means arranged to project lightonto an exposed portion of one of said wall members displaced verticallyrelative to said housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,202,674 Seaman et al May 28, 1940 2,243,816 Hammer May 27, 19412,330,268 Cloutier Sept. 28, 1943 2,485,347 Anderson et al. Oct. 18,1949

